May 27

A Broken Drum

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.  ––2 Corinthians 12:9-10

I talk about brokenness a lot, but don’t get me wrong. I’m not advocating for some weak-kneed version of manhood or an approach that turns away from challenge or from doing hard things. In Christ, we are called to a lifestyle that is just the opposite. Here are some words/short phrases that the Word uses to describe a good man:

Fear the Lord – delight in His commandments; gracious, full of compassion, and righteous – discreet, steadfast – unafraid of evil – trusts in the Lord; an established heart – generous toward the poor – his strength will be exalted with honor.  ––from Psalm 112

Blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient – not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain – hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined – he must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.  ––Titus 1:5-9

Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness –  fight the good fight of the faith.  ––1 Timothy 6:11

That’s a lot, right? (And I could keep going!) The good news is that there’s a “great first step” you can take if you’re feeling overwhelmed or confused: Be a broken drum. Why? Because a broken drum cannot be beaten. That simply means be submitted to Christ. Man of God, that looks like this: Start each morning with Him, put your eyes on Him, and ask Him to give you wisdom and guidance throughout your day.

Jesus does not expect perfection; He expects commitment; He wants your heart. The word “pursue” that opens 1 Timothy 6:11 is the key—take the steps you need to take today to be the man God wants you to be. If that’s too much to wrap your head around, think on this: what is one thing you can do today that reflects the heart of Jesus?

Father, growth is a day by day process, so help me to take at least one action today that pleases Your heart.